Many modern gun sights employ a prism and/or mirror reflecting system whereby the user of the gun looks through the sight and sees an optical sighting image superimposed upon the target. A gun sight of this nature is fully described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,439,970. A gun sight using an optical image is available on the market and is known as the Weaver "Qwik-Point" (Trademark) sight, Model R-1, U.S.A.
Another type of gun sight is designed to permit the user of the gun to use both eyes in lining the gun up with the target. One eye is used to look through the sight and the other is used to look alongside the sight at the target. The brain of the user then collates the two images seen by the two eyes to assist in lining the gun up with the target.
Essentially, the Weaver "Qwik-Point" (Trademark) sight presents to the viewer a spot or dot sighting image which is developed by means of a thin red, or similarly coloured, glass or transparent plastic rod, such as "LUCITE" (Trademark), which is located in a horizontal position parallel to the barrel of the rifle within a transparent glass or plastic housing at the front of the sight. This thin glass or plastic rod, located inside the transparent plastic housing, collects daylight and transmits it through the end of the rod nearest the viewer. The end of the rod is then seen by the viewer by means of a series of prisms and mirrors which superimpose the image of the rear tip of the rod in the centre of a tube that is located below the chamber houses the thin glass or plastic rod and the transparent housing. The effect of this rod tip imaging system is that when the viewer sights through the lower tube, which is located immediately above the rifle, the viewer sees a red or similarly coloured dot superimposed upon the target. The dot represents the path along which the bullet will travel when the rifle is fired. To use the sight in combination with the rifle, the user of the rifle lines the rifle up with the intended target by sighting through the tube and superimposing the red or similarly coloured dot on the target area which he intends to hit with the bullet.
The Weaver "Qwik-Point" (Trademark) sight is very useful during the day when there is substantial incidental light about because it enables the user of the rifle to position the image spot on the target quickly and thereby line the rifle up with the target quickly. However, as the amount of incidental light decreases, it becomes increasingly difficult for the viewer to see the red or similarly coloured dot superimposed on the target. Consequently, the Weaver "Qwik-Point" (Trademark) sight is less than ideal in relatively dark conditions.
To enable the Weaver "Qwik-Point" (Trademark) sight, and other gun sights which operate on a similar image superimposing principle, to be used in conditions where there is very little incidental light present, I have invented an attachment which fastens readily to the sight and enables the sight to be used in almost all conditions of light. The only requirement is that there must be sufficient incidental light present to permit the target to be seen by the user of the sight. Since there are very few situations where the target is not illuminated by incidental light to the point that it can be seen dimly, my attachment greatly increases the usefulness of the Weaver "Qwik-Point" (Trademark) sight, and other similar sighting devices.